EWTN News - World Catholic

English bishops urge voting to uphold human dignity 2019-12-02 16:26:00Leeds, England, Dec 2, 2019 / 02:26 pm (CNA).- The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales are urging voters to consider issues of human rights and the

Hungary's incentives mean more marriages but not more 2019-12-02 15:00:00Budapest, Hungary, Dec 2, 2019 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- Hungary has seen a surge in marriages in 2019 following the introduction of government incentives fo

Vatican to welcome asylum seekers to Italy 2019-12-02 12:19:00Rome, Italy, Dec 2, 2019 / 10:19 am (CNA).- On Thursday, the Holy See will welcome 33 refugees to Italy as they arrive from the Greek island of Lesbos

International Conference on Christian Persecution convenes in Budapest 2019-11-26 17:00:00Budapest, Hungary, Nov 26, 2019 / 03:00 pm (CNA).- Patriarchs, cardinals, politicians, and Christians from across the globe are in Budapest this week

Irish nuns’ transfer of hospital land criticized over 2019-11-26 15:30:00Dublin, Ireland, Nov 26, 2019 / 01:30 pm (CNA).- A pending land transfer from a religious community to the Irish government for the construction of a

German bishops will light ‘Synodal Candle’ to launch 2019-11-25 14:55:00Bonn, Germany, Nov 25, 2019 / 12:55 pm (CNA).- The German bishops' conference announced Monday that a ceremonial "Synodal Candle" will be lit on th

How this Croatian cardinal saved thousands of Jewish 2019-11-22 06:00:00Zagreb, Croatia, Nov 22, 2019 / 04:00 am (CNA).- When Esther Gitman proposed a topic for a Fulbright Fellowship, the administrator taking proposals wa

Politician of Spain's Vox party offers ultrasounds outside 2019-11-20 12:56:00Madrid, Spain, Nov 20, 2019 / 10:56 am (CNA).- Gádor Joya, a pediatrician and a legislator of the Assembly of Madrid from the Vox party, operat

Disagreements escalate over Notre-Dame rebuilding project 2019-11-15 02:35:00Paris, France, Nov 15, 2019 / 12:35 am (CNA).- Tensions are reportedly running high between French authorities overseeing the rebuilding of Notre-Dame

Daytime vandalization of Irish Carmelite monastery shocks locals 2019-11-13 16:51:00Dublin, Ireland, Nov 13, 2019 / 02:51 pm (CNA).- A group broke into an Irish Carmelite monastery during the daytime, vandalized its chapel and shouted

Record floods in Venice damage St. Mark’s Basilica 2019-11-13 10:05:00Venice, Italy, Nov 13, 2019 / 08:05 am (CNA).- The crypt of St. Mark’s Basilica was completely flooded Wednesday, after Venice’s water lev

This Japanese painter found the faith through sacred 2019-11-13 05:01:00Rome, Italy, Nov 13, 2019 / 03:01 am (CNA).- Osamu Giovanni Micico had never read the Bible, knew nothing of the stories of Christ in the gospels, and

Aleteia.org – Worldwide

Christmas is the perfect time to meditate on 2019-12-10 08:00:07When you imagine the scene of Jesus' birth, it is difficult not to meditate on the virtue of humility.

A relic from Jesus’ manger has returned to 2019-12-10 07:00:57The sacred relic is back in its place of origin just in time for Advent.

6 Characteristics of happy people 2019-12-10 06:00:12Want to be happier? Pay attention to these key attitudes and behaviors.

How to make your marriage better in one 2019-12-10 00:00:45Using these two principles, you can see real tangible results in your relationship quickly.

Did the Magi enter the Holy House in 2019-12-10 00:00:41The Gospel of Matthew notes that the Magi came to visit Mary in a "house."

When you feel your job has no meaning, 2019-12-10 00:00:23Keep this truth in mind when it comes to bearing with difficulties at work.

Churchgoer creates gingerbread homage to Notre Dame 2019-12-10 00:00:22The 8-ft gingerbread house used more than 450 pounds of ingredients.

6 Saints to turn to if your child 2019-12-10 00:00:21These holy men and women also didn't have it easy.

How a rundown little house in Brooklyn changed 2019-12-10 00:00:16From sheltering homeless youth to being the birthplace of Grassroots Films, St. Francis House is the crown jewel of Greenpoint.

Dream of a better world? Follow the advice 2019-12-10 00:00:15Want to do great things and change the world but don't know how to go about it? Let this saint guide you.

Catacomb art in Malta provides testimony to life 2019-12-10 00:00:10Hal Resqun tomb was covered and neglected for many years.

Pope Francis drops in on “100 Nativity Scenes” 2019-12-09 14:16:29This annual exhibit is in its 44th year and runs this year through January 12

First Things RSS Feed - Web

China’s Sovereignty Tripwire in Hong Kong 2019-12-02 06:00:00Hong Kong is a British city that happens to have an ethnic Chinese majority. It never wanted to be Chinese, still does not want to be Chinese, and nev

Trying Abraham 2019-11-29 06:00:00 Continue Reading »

A Year of Reading: 2019 2019-11-29 06:00:00I’ve been doing this annual list for twenty years, and it has taken on a ritual quality. Yes, yes, I’ve said this before, but some readers

No Unity Without the Cross 2019-11-28 06:00:00This essay was given as a homily on November 16, 2019, at the Mass of the Americas at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Concepti

The Reformed Liturgy, 50 Years Later 2019-11-27 06:00:00Fifty years ago, on November 30, 1969, the Catholic Church marked the First Sunday of Advent with the universal implementation of the revised Roman Ri

Is China a Model of the Common Good? 2019-11-26 06:00:00In 2018, Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview: “Right now, those wh

Title IX Trouble for Fuller Seminary 2019-11-26 06:00:00Fuller Theological Seminary is facing a Title IX lawsuit from a former student, whom Fuller had expelled for entering into a civil same-sex marriage

Gay Rights and the Civil Rights Act 2019-11-25 09:30:00The Wall Street Journal gets things exactly wrong in a recent editorial about two important cases before the Supreme Court. The cases concern clai

The Poets' Favorite Season 2019-11-25 06:00:00One day in 1956, a poet was sitting at his desk, thinking back eighteen years. On an early-autumn day like this, just before the Second World War, he

Martin Scorsese's Damned Men Walking 2019-11-22 15:10:00Martin Scorsese’s  The Irishman  is about bringing the curtain down—in cinematic and other senses—on the mythology of glam

Hope As a Natural Virtue 2019-11-22 06:00:00Dante’s Commedia draws on the tradition of the seven virtues, four “natural” (justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude) and three

Chick-fil-A Chickens Out 2019-11-21 10:05:00For years, Chick-fil-A has been a useful case study for fusionists and libertarian-minded social conservatives. The company has coexisted with woke bu

CNA Daily News

Iraqi Cardinal pleads for help for Christians on 2019-12-09 17:10:00Mosul, Iraq, Dec 9, 2019 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has appealed for financial and spiritual aid for Christians in the Middle East

German bishop accused of taking $140,000 from elderly 2019-12-09 14:00:00Aachen, Germany, Dec 9, 2019 / 12:00 pm (CNA).- A German bishop has been relieved of all his diocesan responsibilities after being charged by pro

Supreme Court denies appeal against Kentucky ultrasound law 2019-12-09 11:35:00Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2019 / 09:35 am (CNA).- Kentucky’s ultrasound requirement for abortions survived an appeal to the Supreme Court on Monda

In a de-Christianized world, priests should be pillars 2019-12-09 09:24:00Vatican City, Dec 9, 2019 / 07:24 am (CNA).- Priests should strive after a strong relationship with Christ, beginning in seminary, in order to be the

Scotland's bishops issue letter on life issues ahead 2019-12-08 14:00:00Edinburgh, Scotland, Dec 8, 2019 / 12:00 pm (CNA).- After Scotland’s Catholic bishops stressed the right to life as fundamental, their parliamen

Pope Francis' prayer for the Immaculate Conception: 'You 2019-12-08 12:01:00Rome, Italy, Dec 8, 2019 / 10:01 am (CNA).- For the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Pope Francis on Sunday venerated a statue of the V

Cardinal Tagle named head of Vatican evangelization office 2019-12-08 11:09:00Vatican City, Dec 8, 2019 / 09:09 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Sunday appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila, Philippines, to lead

How the Church is honoring pilots and the 2019-12-08 07:35:00Loreto, Italy, Dec 8, 2019 / 05:35 am (CNA).- At first glance, pilots and plane passengers have little in common with the Holy House of Mary in Loreto

Pope: Mary's Immaculate Conception the start of the 2019-12-08 06:49:00Vatican City, Dec 8, 2019 / 04:49 am (CNA).- With Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception, God was, even before Mary’s birth, putting into motion

Why an Argentine priest says ‘I love my 2019-12-08 02:00:00Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 8, 2019 / 12:00 am (CNA).- A popular Argentine priest has explained why he frequently wears a priestly cassock, even whil

Sheen beatification delay an act of 'sabotage,' Peoria 2019-12-07 23:30:00Peoria, Ill., Dec 7, 2019 / 09:30 pm (CNA).- After the Diocese of Rochester last week confirmed it had requested that the beatification of Venerable F

Amid terrorism fears in Indonesia, heavy security planned 2019-12-07 17:25:00Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 7, 2019 / 03:25 pm (CNA).- Authorities in Indonesia are expected to deploy 160,000 security personnel to ensure Christmas and

Crisis Magazine

The Magic of the Altar Rail 2019-12-06 03:10:29To look at our diocese, you might assume it’s on the liberal side. Located in Northern Virginia and established in 1974, most of the newer churc

Christianity Isn’t Just Another ‘Lifestyle Choice’ 2019-12-06 03:00:44As many believers can attest, Christianity is the ideal program for life. Its moral code empowers the individual and brings order to a society. Its li

Kids in Defense of the Culture 2019-12-05 03:10:41The shock troops against Conservatism, Inc. have arrived. Witness the rise of the groypers. These cowboys sent people ducking beneath barstools the mo

A Left-Wing Atheist’s Case Against Abortion 2019-12-05 03:00:19Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the January 1988 print edition of Crisis Magazine. It has been edited for brevity. CRISIS: Is abor

A Last Chance for Australian Justice 2019-12-04 03:10:38My late parents loved Cardinal George Pell, whom they knew for decades. So I found it a happy coincidence that, on November 12 (which would have been

Meet the Former Swiss Guard Who’s Teaching Priests 2019-12-04 03:00:51I recall how intimidated I was when, as a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in the 1990s, the Swiss Guard took the pitch for our &ld

The Devil Went Down to Annapolis 2019-12-03 03:10:48The United States Naval Academy is granting Satanist midshipmen a “study space” in which they may conduct “Satanic services” a

The War on Thanksgiving Is Real 2019-12-03 03:00:48This Thanksgiving holiday provided a striking example of political correctness at its worst, aiming at undercutting our nation’s history and tra

Christ, the King of Advent 2019-12-02 03:10:31“Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” In the Church calendar, the days of holy feasts and solemnities go by with dizzying speed. An

Peter Collier, R.I.P. 2019-12-02 03:00:35There are some occasions when the editorial “we” is almost viscerally inadequate. Writing about my friend Peter Collier—the prolific

Can the Catechism Get It Wrong? 2019-11-29 03:10:28In the wake of the amusements surrounding the Vatican’s Amazon Synod, Pope Francis made an important statement at the conference of the Internat

Fr. Martin’s Neighborhood 2019-11-29 03:00:10This past weekend, my 11-year-old daughter and I went to see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood at the local theater. The movie, based on Mr. Rogers&

CBNNews.com

Christ for All Nations Founder, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke 2019-12-07 10:13:11Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, founder of Christ for all Nations (CfaN) has passed away at the age of 79.

Iran Frees Chinese-American Scholar for US-held Scientist 2019-12-07 07:20:26Iran and the U.S. conducted a prisoner exchange Saturday that saw a detained Princeton graduate student released for an Iranian scientist held by Amer

'Changes Are Not Enough': LGBTQ Activists Protest Proposed 2019-12-06 17:24:55Even though Chick-fil-A announced last month that it would no longer be awarding grants to Christian groups that activists have falsely labeled "anti

A New Day for Religious Freedom in Sudan? 2019-12-06 14:55:10A new day could be dawning for the African nation of Sudan as members of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom recently met with the n

AP Exclusive: 629 Pakistani Girls Sold as Brides 2019-12-05 17:43:13Page after page, the names stack up: 629 girls and women from across Pakistan who were sold as brides to Chinese men and taken to China. The list, obt

14-Year-Old Christian Girl Kidnapped, Forced to 'Marry' Muslim 2019-12-05 15:57:17A 14-year-old Christian girl who lived in the Zia Colony located in Karachi, Pakistan has been kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and then "marrie

US: Iran May Have Killed More Than 1,000 2019-12-05 15:47:25The Trump administration on Thursday accused Iranian security forces of killing more than 1,000 people in crackdowns against recent protests that have

Pastor Receives Death Threat, Loses His Job For 2019-12-05 14:53:15A Christian pastor has received a death threat after suggesting that certain “gay pride” events can be “harmful for children.”

Replacing Christ with Climate: Christmas Grinch Strikes at 2019-12-05 14:07:00Yes, Mr. Grinch is back, alive and well and living in Lincolnshire, England. He's busy there taking as much joy from the Christmas season as possible

No Christians Allowed: Muslim UN Officials Block Syrian 2019-12-04 14:22:57Christian Syrian refugees have told CBN News that they have been blocked from getting help from the United Nations Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, by Musli

Iraqi Protesters Burn Iranian Consulate for 3rd Time 2019-12-04 08:01:27Anti-government protesters burned an Iranian consulate in southern Iraq for a third time on Tuesday, as the country's political leaders continued tal

Five Indian Christians Acquitted After Spending 11 Years 2019-12-03 15:48:14A group of Christians have been found innocent after spending over a decade in prison for the slaying of a prominent Hindu leader.

ChurchMilitant.com

US Supreme Court Lets KY Pro-Life Law Stand 2019-12-09 14:35:00WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - The U.S. Supreme Court is letting a Kentucky pro-life law stand. The Kentucky law, passed in 2017, requires pregnan

New Buffalo Bishop Says Victims Part of ‘Healing 2019-12-09 14:09:00BUFFALO, NY. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Buffalo's new acting bishop is promising that clerical sex abuse victims will be part of the healing in the

More Details Emerge About Vatican Financial Scandal 2019-12-09 14:00:00VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Pope Francis has recently decried corruption as undermining the dignity of the person, while he is overseeing a Va

Brazil’s Prince: Amazon Synod Final Doc a ‘Pantheist’ 2019-12-09 13:32:00Brazil's Catholic royalty is condemning the Amazon Synod's final document as an "enormous conspiracy" of emergent pantheism against

Protestants Are Listening 2019-12-09 11:43:00Recent controversies involving Catholic teaching have had the unintended (but happy) consequence of creating occasions to talk about a

December 9, 2019 2019-12-09 10:13:00Rochester Diocese Accused of Scuttling Abp. Sheen's BeatificationBp. Salvatore Matano slammed for 'unexplainable act of sabotage.' FULL S

‘Asian Pope Francis’ Tapped to Head Major Vatican 2019-12-09 09:26:00VATICAN (ChurchMilitant.com) - Pope Francis is giving a new post to a Filipino cardinal seen as soft on morality. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbi

Pope Compares Trump to King Herod 2019-12-09 09:24:00BANGKOK, Thailand (ChurchMilitant.com) - During his recent visit to Thailand, Pope Francis slammed populist movements and compared President Trum

Threatening Power 2019-12-09 06:00:00TRANSCRIPT Oh my, but the Left is getting testy.  You've probably seen or at least heard about fake "Catholic" Joe Biden going off on a vote

God’s Judgment 2019-12-08 14:05:00Of the "Four Last Things," the Second Sunday of Advent treats Judgment. While it is superficially pious to ask, "Who am I to judge?" thi

Finding Jesus in the Temple, Part I 2019-12-08 11:50:00 As a lawyer and former law professor, I often work with hypotheticals, which can be very helpful for clarifying, teaching, or having conversations ab

Three Jesuits, Two Eras, One Enduring Faith 2019-12-08 11:21:00Given the whirlwind of troubles afflicting the Church today — the worship of pagan idols at the Amazon Synod, the ongoing cover-up of clerical s

The Daily Register

Vatican Investments Linked to Global Money Laundering Investigations 2019-12-09 08:08:01By Ed Condon/CNA | VATICAN CITY — A fund in which the Vatican’s Secretariat of State has invested tens of millions of euros has

Ahead of Election, Scotland's Bishops Issue Letter on 2019-12-09 07:55:01By Catholic News Agency | EDINBURGH, Scotland — After Scotland’s Catholic bishops stressed the right to life as fundamental, the

Cardinal Tagle Named Head of Vatican Evangelization Office 2019-12-09 07:39:01By Hannah Brockhaus/CNA | VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis Sunday appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila, Philippines, to lea

Congressmen Tell Attorney General Barr: Prosecute Pornographers for 2019-12-09 07:26:01By Matt Hadro/CNA | WASHINTON, D.C. — Four members of Congress have requested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) use obscenity laws

3 Paintings You Should Meditate For Advent, Orthodox 2019-12-09 01:01:01By Tito Edwards | 3 Paintings Every Catholic Should Meditate On During Advent - Jennifer Rundlett at Aleteia +1 Eastern Orthodox Challenges The Immac

The Immaculate Conception: 8 Things to Know and 2019-12-08 15:34:01By Jimmy Akin | Dec. 8 is ordinarily celebrated as the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but this year in the U.S., it’s being celebrated

The Blame Game and the Immaculate Conception 2019-12-08 15:33:01By Fr. Dwight Longenecker | The Immaculate Conception reminds us of the original problem with original sin: blaming others. When things go wrong the f

Biblical Support for Mary’s Immaculate Conception 2019-12-08 15:32:01By Dave Armstrong | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is  harmonious with Holy Scripture, and is supported by both analogy and

How to Explain the Immaculate Conception to a 2019-12-08 15:31:01By Marge Fenelon | For many, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is the hardest to believe of all the Church’s teachings. The idea of Mary

An Unknown Patroness: The Immaculate Conception 2019-12-08 15:30:01By Laura Dittus | Every year for the past eight years or so, our family has had the tradition of taking annual patron saints. This has been the source

The 3 Temptations of Perelandra’s Eve and Mary’s 2019-12-08 15:02:01By Stephanie Mann | The week before the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2018, my late husband Mark (he died Jan.

Let the Immaculate Conception Help You Prepare 2019-12-08 15:01:01By Patti Armstrong | No one has ever been better prepared for Christmas than the Blessed Mother. Despite the stress of needing to travel by donkey fro

The Arlington Catholic

A holly, jolly Country Christmas in Arlington 2019-12-06 00:00:00This celebration was a one-stop shop for wholesome holiday fun. 

Bishops visit four major basilicas 2019-12-06 00:00:00The bishops of U.S. Region IV — the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia and the Archdioc

Bishops, pope rely on Mary to watch over 2019-12-06 00:00:00Just as children run to their mother's arms in times of trouble, Catholics — including popes and bishops — know they can and should turn

Bishops on 'ad limina' say unity with pope, 2019-12-05 00:00:00As people on pilgrimage often report, what happens along the way can be just as important as what happens at the destination.

JOY — Just One Yes 2019-12-04 00:00:00Have you ever wondered what one “yes” could do? When the Archangel Gabriel announced to our Blessed Mother, “Hail Mary, full of grac

New executive director for CFH 2019-12-04 00:00:00CFH, Inc., a 40-year-old Northern Virginia affordable housing nonprofit formerly called Catholics for Housing, has named George Davies its new executi

‘Tis the season for glitter glue 2019-12-04 00:00:00Green glitter glue in the hands of a 5-year-old can be a fearsome thing to behold, but during St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church’s cra

Spanish Apostolate celebrates 45 years 2019-12-04 00:00:00Volunteers, priests and deacons who work closely with the Hispanic community in the diocese gathered for the celebration of the 45th anniversary of th

Service award honors ministry to Black Catholics 2019-12-04 00:00:00The diocesan Office of Multicultural Ministries awarded the Fr. Augustus Tolton and Mother Lange Black Catholic Service Award to Jerry Cousin at Chris

‘Homeless for a night’ 2019-12-04 00:00:00Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria hosted its annual “Homeless for a Night Campout” on the church grounds Nov. 23. Despite rain, more than

What is a quinquennial report? 2019-12-04 00:00:00The quinquennial report. It sits more than 4 inches high in a nondescript white binder. It represents more than five months’ work from more than

Pilgrimage to Rome is time for grace, renewal, 2019-12-04 00:00:00Journeying to Rome to meet with Pope Francis and pray at the tombs of the apostles is an occasion for grace, growth and renewal, said Archbishop Timot

Catholic World Report

Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life is filled with 2019-12-09 18:29:55Based on real events, A Hidden Life is the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter (August Dieh), who refused to fight for the Nazis in

What do practicing Catholics think about the 2020 2019-12-09 18:20:00Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2019 / 04:20 pm (CNA).- Catholics who say they accept all Church teachings are more likely than other Americans to say they ar

Survey: Americans dissatisfied with bishops’ response to sex 2019-12-09 18:10:00Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2019 / 04:10 pm (CNA).- Americans largely disapprove of the way the U.S. bishops have handled the sex abuse scandal in the U.S

New poll shows how Catholics view the 2020 2019-12-09 18:00:00Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2019 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- Less than a year before the 2020 presidential election, a landmark poll of both Catholic and non-Catho

In gratitude for the work and witness of 2019-12-09 17:14:10Several months ago, I received a call from Sister Clare Stephen inviting me to the December 5 Silver Jubilee Concert on Staten Island to benefit the D

Iraqi Cardinal pleads for help for Christians on 2019-12-09 17:10:00Mosul, Iraq, Dec 9, 2019 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has appealed for financial and spiritual aid for Christians in the Middle East

German bishop accused of taking $140,000 from elderly 2019-12-09 14:00:00Aachen, Germany, Dec 9, 2019 / 12:00 pm (CNA).- A German bishop has been relieved of all his diocesan responsibilities after being charged by pro

Supreme Courts denies appeal of Kentucky ultrasound law 2019-12-09 11:35:00Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2019 / 09:35 am (CNA).- Kentucky’s ultrasound requirement for abortions survived an appeal to the Supreme Court on Monda

In a de-Christianized world, priests should be pillars 2019-12-09 09:24:00Vatican City, Dec 9, 2019 / 07:24 am (CNA).- Priests should strive after a strong relationship with Christ, beginning in seminary, in order to be the

Thomism and Political Liberalism, Part 3 2019-12-08 20:37:40This is the third and last part of my discussion of Thomism and political liberalism. From the first two essays (see here and here) I think that we ca

Cardinal Tagle named head of Vatican evangelization office 2019-12-08 11:09:00Vatican City, Dec 8, 2019 / 09:09 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Sunday appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila, Philippines, to lead

The Immaculate Conception and the seamless garment of 2019-12-08 11:01:28Many Catholics misunderstand the meaning of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is also the patronal feast of